Do you love your toasties piping hot, crispy golden, and oozing with melted cheese? Perhaps you’ve got a thing for grilled sandwiches like they whip up in cafes? Well, whatever has turned you into a Sammie-craving food nerd, we’ll help you find the best sandwich press, ensuring you can squeeze the most value out of your investment in it. Ready? Let’s get to the good stuff.

Our Method for Shortlisting the Best Sandwich Presses

When we got the idea of making a detailed review guide on sandwich presses, we put together our heads to figure out a way for authentic research on products. We wanted to know the insides, the real pros, and cons of products past the marketing cloud.

So for that, we landed at ProductReview.com.au, scrolled through the sandwich presses, and shortlisted the ones with the most and best reviews. Oh, and we also got some help from Amazon.

Best Sandwich Maker – Our Top Picks

Breville Toast & Melt

Hands down, the undisputed champion in the sandwich press universe. Aussies simply love the Breville Toast and Melt. Over 50 reviews with a collective 4.5 stars rating on the ProductReview.com.au website proves that. This machine is simple, does the job well, and does it fast. Your midnight cravings will be sorted in minutes with its fast and efficient heating capabilities.

It comes with a crush-control adjustable latch that eliminates squishing and lets you prepare open-face toasties loaded with your favourite toppings. Everything will be exactly as you left it, but perfectly toasted. It also has a high-quality non-stick PFOA-free coating and features a flat plate with grill style.

Although it doesn’t have any button to turn on/off, there are however indicator lights telling you when the sandwich is ready. For $60, it’s not the most economical one out there but then you’ll be getting the best sandwich press, so for the quality, the price is not that high. Here’s why you should empty your wallet for Breville Toast and Melt:

The Best Bits:

• Crush control adjustable latch
• Non-stick, PFOA-free flat plates
• 1-year warranty with free replacement
• Cord wrap concealed underneath
• Quickly and equally heats the food

Some Caveats:

• $60 price tag at various retailers and online stores, which is justifiable for the quality but not everyone can afford it
• The stainless steel exterior can get greasy after frequent toasting
• No button for turning on/off, but there are indicator lights

Breville Original ‘74

Like the old-school jaffle? Make it in your home and experience nostalgia like never before with the Breville Original ’74. Folks over at ProductReview.com.au seem to be the fans of the Original ’74 rating it at 3.5 out of 5 stars with over 30 reviews. One of the most prominent features of Breville Original is its cooking plates; they’re huge! 

Although it takes a little time to heat things up and needs bigger slices of bread to properly close the edges, Aussies stated the final result is a beautifully divided jaffle with tight shut, crisp edges. Even though it’s the most expensive machine on our list, priced around $120, it comes with a 3-year worry-free warranty. Plus, paying a little extra is worth it if you’re getting your childhood memories back.

The Best Bits:

• Makes jumbo sizes jaffles
• Double plates allow you to make two sandwiches at once
• Pack it up easily with a wrapper for cord along with a storage clip
• Even heating produces crispy brown crusts
• Solid stainless steel build with a 3 years long warranty

Some Caveats:

• You might need knife to take your jaffles out
• Very pricy
• Takes a little time to reach maximum heat

Kmart 2 Slice Sandwich Press

Kmart stands out for its simple and well-priced products and they didn’t go out of their way with the 2 Slice Toastie Maker. You can get your hands on this machine for just $19; it’s a steal. It’s a pretty straightforward machine that does what’s mentioned on the box. It boasts high-quality non-stick flat plates and a latch to keep your sandwiches from looking like a tank ran over them.

On ProductReview.com.au, the Kmart 2 Slice has received an average of 4 stars out of 5 by over 10 collective reviews. Aussies love a good bargain, which is why most of them are happy with its price-to-value ratio. Although there are some complaints about its handle being a little loose or dodgy, or that it doesn’t get as hot as they’d want, still, it does a fine job for the price.

The Best Bits:

• Locking latch keeps the sandwiches from getting squashed
• Comes with cord storage
• Equipped with indicator lights
• Insane value for just $19

Some Caveats:

• The handle has some Aussies upset; might be a little dodgy
• Some complained it doesn’t get as hot as they want

Top Competing Sandwich Presses

Sunbeam Café Press

Ever been in a sandwich fight? The one where everyone wants the first batch of toasties? Well, that won’t be a problem with Sunbeam’s Café Press. This huge toasted sandwich maker as it can make you 4 sammies in one go, efficient, isn’t it? With a power consumption of 2,400 watts, this machine is an absolute beast when it comes to heating capabilities. Plus, there’s a floating latch just like the aforementioned models.

With over 20 reviews having an average 3.5 rating, this is one of the best toasters if you need high heat. And its ability to even cook eggs, pizzas, bacon, and other foods made with grilling makes it very versatile. However, some Aussies mentioned it doesn’t last long, so there’s a little bit of doubt about its quality. This came as a surprise to us considering its hefty price tag of $100.

Best For: Those looking for a big fill toastie for pumping out multiple toasties in one go

Breville The Big One

We believe the makers of this one didn’t have time to name it so they just started calling it the big one because of its size and ability to make 2 jaffles in one go. With a reasonable price point of $50, it comes with non-stick PFOA-free plates but doesn’t have diagonal heating surfaces so your sandwich will come out as a whole. This means your yolk would stay intact when making an egg sandwich.

It has over 25 reviews with an average of 4 stars earning it a spot in the best sandwich press list. However, some folks complained about its jumbo size because it requires large bread slices, and also, the plates take nearly 3 minutes to fully heat.

Best For: Those who need a big, loaded jaffle to curb their hunger

Sunbeam Compact Café Grill – Griddle Surface

Prefer café-style focaccias and Panini over the classic sammies? Sunbeam Compact Café Grill is just what you need in your arsenal of kitchen appliances. It has a griddle-like surface providing you with a true grilled sandwich experience. Furthermore, the grill comes with ready and warm-up lights and can fit 2 sandwiches at once. According to one reviewer, it can even make things like kebabs or smashed potatoes. It can also act as your panini press.

With 50+ reviews averaging a little over 4 starts, it’s one of the top-rated sandwich grills on the market. However, some people have complaints like it won’t store standing up or that it doesn’t live up to the quality they expected.

Best For: Those with regular cravings for a café-like sandwich.

Kmart Anko

The cheapest one in Australia but not bad if you need something very basic to make you simple toasties. It has a small size so you won’t be able to load your sandwiches with a lot of filling. Another reason for this is that its heat doesn’t go as high as other big-name brands so it might not penetrate through too much stuffing.

Moreover, it takes a little while to achieve brown edges but we cannot complain because of its insanely low price point of $12 – we wonder how they’re making a profit.

Best For: Those looking for the most basic machine at the cheapest price

Features to Consider When Buying the Best Sandwich Press

Latch: It should be adjustable if you want to keep your loaded toasties from squashing. The stepped latches will give you options for toasts and open-face sandwiches.

Plates: Always opt for jaffle iron plates as it has diagonal heating elements with non-stick elements just like a sandwich press. The only difference is, jaffle plates have moulds like waffle plates for making authentic, sandwiches with tightly sealed, crispy edges.

Heating Speed: Although these machines don’t come with temperature control, most sandwich press we talked about have quick heating time, but machines having larger plates or jaffle moulds can take some time to achieve high temperatures. If saving time is your priority, the best sandwich press for you would be the one with non-stick, flat plates.

Storage: In addition to underneath cord storage, your sandwich maker should also have a storage latch for quick storage, if you’ll be using it frequently. Plus the clean up should be easy with minimum smudges and grease marks.

Things You Can Get With Higher Budget

Better Quality: Aussies love using sandwich makers, we’ve noticed this while hanging out on the product review platforms. So if you want yours to last longer, don’t go for a cheaper, basic model. It will soon lose its oomph factor and fall apart. Spend on a higher quality product to save yourself money and unwarranted visits to appliance stores.

Bigger Size: It’s an established rule in the realm of sandwich makers – if you pay manufacturers more money, they make bigger sandwich makers. Bigger presses can produce jumbo-sized, or even two sandwiches at once. But take aside over $50 for this kind of machine.

More Heat: Cheap sandwich makers will not have higher temperatures. As a result, you may have to wait longer or eat semi-toasted sandwiches. More expensive models will have higher heat settings and will reach peak temperatures faster.

The Crux – Read This If You Skipped Past Reviews:

Whether your tastebuds favour classic grilled cheese and egg-filled jaffles, or chicken cheese sandwiches, you need a sandwich maker for the most authentic taste.

In our review, we found Breville Toast and Melt to be the best sandwich press for most Aussies. It’s a robust machine that toasts the bread and melts the cheese like no other. It comes with a crush-control latch so your loaded toasties don’t get fully pressed by the top plate. Plus, it has high-quality non-stick plates made with PFOA-free materials.

If you’ve got a thing for the nostalgic jaffles, go for the Breville Original ’74 with a sleek stainless steel body and has jumbo-sized plates. Although it’s no Usain Bolt when it comes to making sandwiches in a jiffy, it does reach high temperatures efficiently. Plus, you get a 3-year long warranty so there’s no risk involved.

Want something to toast up a regular sandwich quickly? Meet Kmart 2-Slice Sandwich Maker with a price of just $19; it’s the best budget-friendly machine out there. It’s got a compact size for easy storage, room for 2 sandwiches and nock-stick plates.

Frequently Asked Questions:

What’s the Difference Between Jaffle Maker and Sandwich Press?

The sandwich press comes with 2 plates for pressing and heating the food between them gently. They either come with ribbed grill plates or flat press plates.

Electric Jaffle machines, on the other hand, have mould in their plates for making perfectly, convex sandwiches. It has heating elements on the plates for separating sandwiches into halves with crispy, sealed edges.

What Can You Make in a Sandwich Press Besides Sandwich?

Anything that you can usually make on a bbq grill. However, breakfast foods like hash browns, bacon, omelettes, mushrooms, and French toasts are easier to cook on it.

Depending on your sandwich toaster’s versatility you can also use it to grill meat, especially steak, chicken pieces, and burger patties that can use some heat from both sides to cook fast.

Are Sandwich Grill and Sandwich Press Different?

Technically, yes they are. Sandwich ‘press’ comes with flat plates while a sandwich grill is equipped with ribbed plates.

The former one doesn’t have to touch your sandwich’s surface while the contact grills in the latter one do touch it, leaving their signature marks like the ones on takeout sandwiches.

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Is Non-Stick Coating on Plates of Sandwich Press Safe?

Yes, the non-stick surface is safe if you don’t overheat it. The coating can start breaking down and coming off at over 200 degrees Celsius temperatures. Keep them under this mark you’ll be fine.